The place to learn about your Mac. Tips and tutorials for novices and experts.

How to Find the Best DNS Servers

We've previously discussed how to change the DNS servers on your Mac, iPad, and AirPort Extreme. But how do you know which DNS servers to use? There are dozens of free DNS providers, and all of them claim to offer the best service. Don't worry. In this tutorial, we'll show you how to find the best DNS servers, no matter where you're located or which device you're using.

Why Can't Anyone Tell Me Which DNS Servers to Use?

Nobody knows which DNS servers are the best and fastest for you, because there are many different factors that can impact the speed of DNS service. Just like the quality of cellular network service, which varies widely from location to location, DNS service can also be influenced by your geographic location and Internet service provider. In short, there's no one DNS server that is right for every individual.

Using Namebench to Find the Best DNS Servers

To find the fastest DNS servers for your Mac, iPad, or AirPort Extreme, try using Namebench. It's an open source DNS benchmark utility that can quickly and accurately find the fastest DNS servers for your location. It does this by running a series of tests on your computer and comparing your current DNS servers to many other free DNS services. When the test is complete, the results will recommend the fastest DNS servers for you, personally.

Now sit back and enjoy the speed that comes with using the fastest DNS servers available to you!

Meet Your Macinstructor

Matt Cone, the author of Master Your Mac, has been a Mac user for over 20 years. A former ghost writer for some of Apple's most notable instructors, Cone founded Macinstruct in 1999, a site with OS X tutorials that boasts hundreds of thousands of unique visitors per month. You can email him at: matt@macinstruct.com.